Guignol in Paris

The iconic Guignol puppet, with his bulging eyes and mischievous grin, actually began as a clever tool for a street dentist named Laurent Mourguet. Working in Lyon after the French Revolution, Mourguet performed quick, improvised puppet shows in front of his chair to distract his patients from the pain of having teeth pulled. The distraction worked so well that Mourguet eventually abandoned dentistry to become a professional puppeteer, shaping a character that became a voice for the working class. Guignol evolved into a symbol of defiance against authority, using biting wit and local dialect to mock politicians and bureaucrats at a time when such speech was dangerous.